Picnic coaster and holder therefor



D 30, 1952 o. A. BLADOW 2,623,633

PICNIC COASTER AND HOLDER THEREFOR Filed Nov. 13, 1950 III 'unma,

Fig.3

Fig.2

01/0 A. B/adow INVENTOR.

Mar/5a.. BY %WEMLWS Patented Dec. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,623,633 PI QNI C COASTER AND HOLDER THEREFOR Otto A. Bladow,Hankinson, N. Dak. ApplicationNovemher 13, 1950, Serial No. 195,339

2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incoasters such as are used for supporting drinking glasses and the likeand has reference, in particular, to a so-called picnic kit which lattercomprises a plurality of especially constructed coasters and a compactand convenient assembling and carrying conta'iner therefor.

A general object of the invention is to structurally, functionally andotherwise improve upon known styles and forms of coasters which lendthemselves. especially useful for out-of-d-oors service and, inaddition, to so construct the coasters thatthey may be stacked in acompact and convenient manner in a simple storing and carrying case orcontainer.

Another somewhat general objective is to provide a simple, economicaland practical picnic kit in which manufacturers and users will findtheir essential needs fully met, contained and effectually available.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on a shallow. pan-like coasterof lightweight but durablestock which is provided on its bottom with arigid anchoring prong or stake and which in addition has a plurality ofholes serving as drainage openings and, in addition serving tofacilitate t te of tac ii and ne e c plete set of coasters in a can-likecontainer.

Briefly summarized the invention has to do with a container and aplurality of pan-shaped coasters stacked in said container, each coaster"having an anchoring pron-g rigidly attached to and extending at rightangles from its bottom,

each coaster having a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes in itsbottom, the holes in the respective coasters being registered with eachother, and certain of the prong-s passing through selected holes inother coasters, whereby to permit a. series of coasters to be packed ina small container despite the obstructions presented by the presence ofthe prongs on the coasters.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying sheet of illustrativedrawmgs.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein like numerals are employedto designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a perspective View of a picnic type coaster constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the open top container,its lid and the stack of coasters;

Figure 3 is a View in section and elevation with the coasters in thecontainer which View may be said to be taken somewhat on the plane ofthe central line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction oi thearrows.

Referring now to the views of the drawing and to the parts by referencenumerals and acccin panying lead lines, the container is denoted by thenumeral 4. It is a cylindrical open topped can or the like having a flatbottom and of suitable size. It may be of any appropriate material suchas lightweight metal or commercial plastics. The open top normallyclosed by a marginally flanged lid or cover 6. Any number of coastersmay be stored compactly within the confining limits, of the container.Usually'coasters are sold in sets of six. Each coaster is of lightweightmaterial and is in the form of a shallow pan. For convenience thecoasters are separately=denoted by the reference numerals '8, l0, l2, M,It, and H3 in Figure 3. Actually, however, each coaster is of identicalconstruction and embodies a disc 'like flat bottom '20 and a marginalrim 22. The flat bottom is provided with a plurality of holes oropenings and these are denoted by the. numerals 24. There are five suchholes in the. bottom of each coaster and they are at equidistantcircumferentially spaced points. They areapproximately degrees apart andfitting in the remaining space is the anchoring stake or pron-g 26. Thisis rigidly secured at its upper end as at 28 to the bottom of the coaster and has a, pointed lower end. It is of suitable length to permit itto be pressed into the ground or other soft surface for basing thecoaster and anchoring it against accidental displacement. Thus made thecoaster is ideal for out-of-doors and so-called picnic purposes, as isobvious. It may be used to support drinking glasses, beverage cans,bottles and so on. Thus, we have .a shallow pan-shaped coaster with a,flat bottom and marginal rim, with drainage holes in its bottom and withan anchoring pron-g depending at right angles from the bottom. The holesare not primarily for drainage purposes. As a matter of fact they arefor clearance purposes as is best observed in the showing made in Figure3. Here is shown a central vertical section of the complete kit with thecoasters stacked and nested in the confines of the container with thelid on the container. Due to the fact that the section is taken on thecentral vertical line, approximately the line 3-3 in Figure 2, but fourof the prongs or pins are shown.

Actually, however, there are six prongs beof the container.

3 cause each coaster has its own anchoring prong. In stacking thecoasters the lowermost ones are turned upside down, that is the coasters14,16 and I8. This means that the prong 26 of the lowermost coasterextends up through aligned holes in the adjacent superposed coasters.Also the prong on the second coaster l6 extends up through thosecoasters which are stacked above it. The other three coasters 8-, I0 and12 are stacked and nested in the manner shown and they are turned rightside up. In this way there will always be registering holes in all ofthe coasters to permit the passage of the selected prongs through theholes. These holes thus piercing or passing through the coactingcoasters permit satisfactory clearance and complete storage of thecoasters, notwithstanding the presence of the anchoring pins, inintimate stacked and contacting relationship with in the confinesAlthough the pattern of interconnecting the coasters by way of theprongs passing through the holes seems somewhat complex in the absenceof having the actual device in hand, with the latter in hand it is aneasy matter for one to stack the two sets of coasters in the mannershown with the pins or prongs in out-of-the-way positions.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and arrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice ifdesired.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A picnic kit of the class described comprising an open top container,a removable lid closing said open top, several shallow pan-shapedcoasters stacked upside down in the lower portion of said container,each coaster having a flat bottom, a ground penetrating and anchoringprong rigidly and eccentrically attached to the bottom of each coasterand each coaster having eccentrically located holes in its bottom, saidinvention, What is prongs passing selectively through predeterminedholes in said coasters, and several right side up coasters stacked atopone another on top of said first mentioned coasters, said right side upcoasters being identical in construction with the first named coastersand correspondingly joined together by like prongs and bottom holesthrough which certain of the prongs project.

2. A picnic kit of the class described comprising a container, and aplurality of pan-shaped coasters stacked in said container, each coasterbeing a shallow flat bottomed circular pan having an anchoring prongrigidly attached eccentrically to and extending at right angles fromsaid fiat bottom, each coaster having a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced eccentrically situated holes in its bottom, the holes in therespective coasters being registered with each other, and certain of theprongs passing through se lected holes in other coasters, whereby topermit a series of coasters to be stacked one upon the other andcompactly packaged in a small container despite the otherwise would-beobstructions presented by the presence of the prongs on 1 the coasters.

OTTO A. BLADOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 26,106 Douglass Sept. 29, 189667,391 Wilcox July 30, 1867 647,388 Evans Apr. 10, 1900 716,560Leininger Dec. 23, 1902 982,538 Senge Jan. 24, 1911 1,530,815 Dear Mar.24, 1925 1,876,322 Rudolph Sept. 6, 1932 1,879,952 Rosen Sept. 27, 19321,930,300 Boll Oct. 10, 1933 1,981,627 Merriman Nov. 2-0, 1934 2,365,461Fairbanks Dec. 19, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,537/30Australia June'l, 1931

